"That sounds like "The Bear Went Over the Mountain",
Peanut observed in church last night.
Ohh, I'm sorry.
The correct answer is "Oh, How I Love Jesus".
Try again next Sunday!
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Should children attend adult worship service?
In this morning's church service four children were baptized. Each had family and friends attending, so there was a bigger crowd than usual. On our pew and the pew in front of us there were a total of five children ranging from 4-6 years old and Sissy, who just turned 8. I saw other children sitting with their families, all over the sanctuary.
About halfway through the sermon it occurred to me that these children were not distracting anyone's attention from the service. Were they all sitting perfectly still ? No. Were they giving the pastor their undivided attention? No. They were quietly drawing on the backs of bulletins, or looking at hymnals. They moved around in their seats, but not excessively considering their ages. One of them forgot to use his "whisper" voice once, but was quickly and gently shushed and that was that. A couple of them sang along during congregational hymns. During baptism, they watched intently while parents or grandparents narrated in whispers.
These were not unusually quiet and obedient children. Interestingly, two of them have reputations for being just the opposite --in a classroom full of other children.
Wow. Could it be that children act out less often when you take away the peer group? Could it be that children could not only "sit through" but actually participate in and benefit from church services?
I believe it's important for our children to spend time learning to worship in "big church".
One of the greatest blessings a parent can have is to lead her children through the elements of group worship. Many people cringe at this idea, imagining worst possible scenarios of disruption caused by their children. I used to be one of them. This is a very valid concern -no one wants to sabotage the worship experience of other people sitting nearby.
What we've found though, is that when it comes to kids and the extra movement and noise they make in church, most people are not as disapproving as we think. In fact, most people understand. They see you being consistent. They know that you're trying. Many of them have been there and remember the challenges of teaching "church service behaviour" to young children.
The book Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman is an encouraging resource for this and I highly recommend it.
About halfway through the sermon it occurred to me that these children were not distracting anyone's attention from the service. Were they all sitting perfectly still ? No. Were they giving the pastor their undivided attention? No. They were quietly drawing on the backs of bulletins, or looking at hymnals. They moved around in their seats, but not excessively considering their ages. One of them forgot to use his "whisper" voice once, but was quickly and gently shushed and that was that. A couple of them sang along during congregational hymns. During baptism, they watched intently while parents or grandparents narrated in whispers.
These were not unusually quiet and obedient children. Interestingly, two of them have reputations for being just the opposite --in a classroom full of other children.
Wow. Could it be that children act out less often when you take away the peer group? Could it be that children could not only "sit through" but actually participate in and benefit from church services?
I believe it's important for our children to spend time learning to worship in "big church".
One of the greatest blessings a parent can have is to lead her children through the elements of group worship. Many people cringe at this idea, imagining worst possible scenarios of disruption caused by their children. I used to be one of them. This is a very valid concern -no one wants to sabotage the worship experience of other people sitting nearby.
What we've found though, is that when it comes to kids and the extra movement and noise they make in church, most people are not as disapproving as we think. In fact, most people understand. They see you being consistent. They know that you're trying. Many of them have been there and remember the challenges of teaching "church service behaviour" to young children.
The book Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman is an encouraging resource for this and I highly recommend it.
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